This course addresses the issues of civilian protection in zones of armed conflict. It explores three key themes: the nature of contemporary forms of conflict and its investments in civilians; the experiences of civilians in conflict zones and their capacity to shape those experiences; the responsibilities and efforts of the international community to seek the protection of civilians in and after conflict. To this end, this course will begin by examining traditional and non-traditional approaches to conflict and conflict analysis, including the realist and liberal traditions, democratic peace theory, cosmopolitanism, literatures on new wars and complex emergencies, and debates on humanitarian intervention. It will then examine the impact that different conflicts have upon civilians. It will apply an identity politics lens to understand how the civilian experience is shaped by gender, age, ethnicity, religion, and location. It will also debate what is required for civilian protection, how it is best implemented, and by whom. The course then turns to an examination of the international community's work in providing civilian protection- in particular it will focus on the work of the UN and major NGOs and INGOs, and the militarised responses of global coalitions such as NATO.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- demonstrate a strong understanding of the impact of conflict on civilians, the global civilian protection framework, and the competing theories informing the analysis of both;
- be capable of identifying and debating the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to civilian protection;
- develop strong research, analysis, and critical thinking skills; and
- develop strong written and oral communication skills.
Indicative Assessment
- Two research papers at 3,000 words each (40% each) (80) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- One document analysis paper at 1,000 words (15) [LO 1,2]
- Seminar Participation (5) [LO 1,2,4]
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Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:a) 24 hours of seminars; and
b) 106 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
None
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $4440 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $6000 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.